Soraya Khavasi

I am an interaction designer and design researcher working at the intersection of technology and everyday digital experience.

My work focuses on how digital systems influence trust, perception, and how people make sense of information. Through research and prototyping, I try to make complex systems easier to understand and more meaningful for people.

I have a background in Industrial Design (BA, MA), with a research focus on semiotics and emotional design. This has shaped the way I approach design, not only as problem solving, but also as a way to understand how people interpret and relate to the world around them.

Alongside my work in UX and product design, I have several years of experience as a visiting lecturer in Iran and Finland, teaching UI/UX design and related subjects. Teaching has influenced how I think about design, both in practice and as a field of study.

At the moment, I am developing research based on my previous projects, with the long term goal of continuing into doctoral studies related to communication, cognition, and data driven society.

What I Do

- Interaction & UX Design

- UX Research & Research-through-Design

- Information Architecture & System Thinking

- Translating complex systems into intuitive experiences

- Bridging academic research and real-world design practice

Approach

I am especially interested in digital systems that people use in their everyday lives, where design decisions shape how they understand information, build trust, and interact with digital environments.

My approach combines:

- analytical thinking, working with research, semiotics, and cognition to understand problems more deeply

- practical design work, focusing on UX, prototyping, and systems design to turn ideas into usable solutions

- a critical perspective, considering social impact, communication, and how meaning is shaped through digital systems

Tools &

Methods

- UX & Research: Figma, Adobe XD, qualitative research, prototyping

- Visual & System Design: Adobe Suite, structuring information

- 3D & Product Background: Rhino, 3ds Max, KeyShot

Education

Master of Arts (MA) in Industrial Design

Tehran Central Branch, Faculty of Art

2011 - 2017

Thesis: Semiotics as a Framework for Emotional Product Design

Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Industrial Design

Tehran Central Branch, Faculty of Art & Architecture

2003 - 2007

Project: Interactive Information Service System

Interaction Design Foundation (IxDF)

Credential ID 125788

- UX Management: Strategy and Tactics

- User Research - Methods and Best Practices

- AI for Designers

Languages

- English (Fluent)

- Dutch (Beginner)

- Turkish (Conversational)

- Persian (Native)